Is the Earth really flat? If you had a gigantic spirit level, then maybe you could check! How about making a spirit level or a water level for your garden instead?
Connect one end of the hose to one of the bottles. Fill the hose and bottle with water.
Fix the second bottle to the other end of the hose. Use the nail to punch holes in the bottom of the soft drink bottles. This way, air can flow in and out of the bottles as the water moves between the bottles. Watch out for leaks!
Hold both bottles level against each other and mark the water level. This is your ‘level’ mark.
Tie one bottle to a garden stake or pole. When the second bottle is moved around, the water will flow from one bottle to the other. When water is level with the mark in both bottles, they are at the same height and they’re level!
Spirit levels usually show whether something is sitting level horizontally and they’re often used by landscapers before they move soil or lay pavers. How would you make a spirit level that shows whether something is vertical or plumb?
Visit the Measure Island exhibition with your friends and try out the giant human-scale spirit level we’ve built. Here on the web site, we've got a different kind of balance: instead of water, it’s balanced using various jungle animals! See if you can balance it!
